SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A California court on Feb. 1 affirmed a trial court's decision to dismiss numerous claims against several mortgage entities in relation to the assignment of a loan, finding that the borrowers failed to submit any cause of action to support the theories that they relied on (Andrew Kalnoki, et al. v. First American Trustee Servicing Solutions, LLC, et al., Nos. C073207, C075062, C079144, Calif. App., 3rd Dist., 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 74).

PASADENA, Calif. - After finding that a member of a gym expressly consented to receiving text messages and that he lacked standing to assert violations of California business and professions codes, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Jan. 30 affirmed a summary judgment ruling for the owners of the gym and its marketing firm (Bradley Van Patten v. Vertical Fitness Group LLC, et al., No. 14-55980, 9th Cir., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 1591).

SAN FRANCISCO - A California federal judge on Jan. 24 dismissed proposed class action claims for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL) and other claims, finding that a consumer failed to show that she purchased prawns from a retailer that were provided by two food product companies that produced the prawns using illegal labor practices (Monica Sud, et al. v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, et al., No. 15-cv-03783, N.D. Calif.; 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9943).

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A California federal judge on Jan. 20 dismissed class action claims for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL), negligence and other causes of action related to a data breach of a real estate trust's computer system, finding that former tenants of the trust's property failed to show that they had standing to sue (Mark Foster, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, v. Essex Property Inc., No. .5:14-cv-05531, N.D. Calif.; 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8373).

SAN FRANCISCO - A Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel on Jan. 12 determined that Apple Inc. is a distributor of third-party created apps sold in its App Store, leading the panel to find that putative monopolization class claims related to the store could proceed (In re Apple iPhone Antitrust Litigation, No. 14-15000, 9th Cir.; 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 577).

SAN FRANCISCO - After finding that a wireless communications company failed to show the reasonable efforts necessary to maintain its claim for misappropriation of trade secrets and failed to plead facts to support its cause of action for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL), a California federal judge on Jan. 6 granted a pizza franchise's motion to dismiss the claims against it (Prostar Wireless Group LLC v. Domino's Pizza Inc., No. 3:16-cv-05399, N.D. Calif.; 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2999).

SAN DIEGO - A California federal judge on Jan. 5 granted a bank's request to assert counterclaims against borrowers and to add various counterdefendants to an action in which property owners assert claims for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL), the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and other causes of action, finding that amendment would not prejudice the claimants (Rick J. Hinrichsen, et al. v. Quality Loan Service Corporation, et al., No. 16cv0690, S.D. Calif.; 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1670).

SAN FRANCISCO - A California federal judge on Jan. 6 granted a request by several companies to transfer an employee's class claims for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL) and other causes of action related to alleged employment violations, finding that transfer to another federal court was appropriate because various factors, including the convenience of witnesses, weighed in favor of the transfer (Jorge Perez v. Performance Food Group Inc., et al., No. 15-cv-02390, N.D. Calif.; 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2319).

SAN FRANCISCO - After finding that a borrower failed to amend her claims for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL) and declaratory relief, a California federal judge on Jan. 3 granted a motion to dismiss a second amended complaint against lenders in relation to a mortgage (Modesta Jacinto v. Ditech Financial LLC, et al., No. 16-cv-02815, N.D. Calif.; 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1012).

SANTA ANA, Calif. - An owner of a 2016 Model X filed a class complaint on Dec. 30 against Tesla Motors Inc., accusing the company of making faulty vehicles after he and his son were injured when his vehicle allegedly accelerated on its own while he was pulling into his garage (Ji Chang Son, et al. v. Tesla Motors, Inc., No. 16-2282, C.D. Calif.).

PASADENA, Calif. - The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Dec. 14 affirmed a court's dismissal of claims for violation of California's unfair competition law (UCL) and for violation of the Sherman Act against several banks, finding that some of a borrower's claims could not be based on vicarious liability and that she lacked standing (Helen Galope v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee under Pooling and Servicing Agreement dated as of May 1, 2007 Securitized Asset Backed Receivables LLC Trust 2007-BR4, No. 15-55246, 9th Cir.; 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 22210).